Don't waste time on manufactured outrageDon't waste time on manufactured outrage

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors and management of Nation’s Restaurant News.


After the E. coli outbreak at Jack in the Box in the 1990s, consumers were understandably reluctant to even enter one of the stores again. Sales were so low that Jack in the Box was losing money just by opening for business each day.

Yet one thing brought consumers back: A price cut.

It’s no secret that people say one thing and then do something else, even when it’s a serious matter like perceived risk surrounding potentially fatal E. coli. The trick is figuring out what consumers really do care about and what they merely say they do — or are misled into believing.

Consider the issue of high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, a few y...